Guide · Serving all of Singapore
Renovation FAQ for Singapore Homeowners
The questions we are asked before every project, answered with the source.
Do I need an HDB permit?
A permit from HDB is required before hacking or altering any walls in a flat, and for a range of other works including replacing floor and wall finishes and window replacement. Works that need no permit still have to comply with HDB's guidelines, or they count as unauthorised works (MyNiceHome).
What hours can work happen?
HDB permits general renovation works from 9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday, with no works on Sundays and public holidays. Noisy works — heavy hacking, extensive demolition, tile cutting and excessive drilling — are permitted only from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
How do I check a contractor's licence?
HDB's Directory of Renovation Contractors is the register, and it is published as an open dataset searchable by company name or UEN. A contractor who is not in it may not carry out renovation works in an HDB flat, and engaging one is an offence carrying a fine not exceeding S$5,000.
Is “HDB-approved” a real credential?
No, and it is worth treating as a warning sign. HDB states that it does not endorse nor guarantee the quality of works of contractors in its directory, and HDB separately warns residents about door-to-door contractors who claim their products are HDB-approved. The accurate phrasing is “listed in HDB's Directory of Renovation Contractors”.
What protection does CaseTrust give me?
CaseTrust caps the initial deposit at a maximum of 20% of the total cost, requires a 12-month workmanship warranty from completion, requires payments in phases against agreed milestones, and requires a deposit performance bond safeguarding deposits against closure, winding up and liquidation.
What if something goes wrong?
CASE handles consumer disputes and publishes annual complaint statistics; the Small Claims Tribunals hear claims up to the prescribed limit of $20,000, or the prescribed extended limit of $30,000 where both parties sign a memorandum consenting to it (Small Claims Tribunals Act 1984).
Is there an HDB hotline for renovation questions?
HDB publishes contact channels for renovation enquiries, including a branch service line and its e-services, on its renovation pages. For anything about permits or a specific flat, HDB is the authority — not a contractor, and not us.
How long will my renovation take?
Duration is set by scope, permit timing and long-lead items rather than by crew size, and the noisy-works window caps how fast demolition can go. A realistic programme is built backwards from the handover date with the permit and the long-lead orders placed first.
Tell us the flat and when you get the keys.
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